Cause Blindness/Deafness versus Dispel Magic

Admiral Caine

First Post
One of my two groups of players really likes Spontaenous Casting, to the degree that the Druid and the Cleric have both taken the Spontaneous Divine Casting Feats.

They ran up against of the limitations of that build in our last play session. An enemy cleric casted Blindness/Deafness on the wizard and permanently blinded him. They didn't have Remove Blindness/Deafness on their spell lists (as Spontaneous Casters). The issue was that the wizard PC might not just be hosed in the short term, but until the party returned to civilization, and considering that they were deep in a dungeon, in a remote location, that was of some concern.

We researched Dispel Magic to see if there was some viability in allowing the blindness to be dispelled that way. For the sake of a fun game experience, I allowed it, but it raised questions in my mind about how Blindness/Deafness actually plays out.

Dispel Magic reads that it doesn't effect anything with an instantaneous duration, but the duration of Blindness/Deafness is permanent.

SCHOOL OF THOUGHT ONE: In order to allow Dispel Magic to cure the condition, one has to assume that magic is somehow actively blocking the sense from working (albeit on a permanent basis). Thus Dispel Magic would disrupt that enduring magic effect, allowing the person to see again.

There is a problem with that however.

SCHOOL OF THOUGHT TWO: The necromatic energies of the Blindness/Deafness spell has actually damaged the sense, so that the person is permanent deprived of it. That is, the spell is actually instantaneous but the effects are permanent.

Contrary to my decision with my players (which was based on what was going to be more fun for the group in the long run), I can find stronger support for the Second School Of Thought.

1.) Remove Blindess/Deafness is a conjuration/healing spell. Ergo it is healing actual damage, even if that isn't damage expressed in the form of hitpoints.

2.)The Remove Blindess/Deafness spell reads that it also restores non-magical losses of these two senses.

3.) Remove Blindness/Deafness and Dispel Magic are both 3rd level spells, and this would certainly be redundancy if they both worked.

I guess my question is whether you would consider Blindess/Deafness to be an instantaneous spell that does some permanent damage.. or is it a magical effect that is permanent until dispelled?

Oh, and regarding my decision.. I've had a lot more time to think about it than compared to when I had to make the call. I don't have any regrets, but I was only trying not to slow the session down.



EDIT: I just realized that Blindness/Deafness is a (D) dismssable spell! That actually supports the notion that it is an enduring magical effect that should be dispellable.

Now I'm really not sure. Opinions welcome.
 

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It's kind of fun being off for the month, gives me time to research things I otherwise wouldn't have time for. :)

No question, dispel magic works against the blindness/deafness spell:

Duration Definition:
Permanent

The energy remains as long as the effect does. This means the spell is vulnerable to dispel magic.

As you already mentioned, blindness/deafness is a duration permanent(d) spell. Dispel can fix it up no problem.
 


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